An own-goal by Schalke's Sead Kolasinac shortly after half-time proved to the be decisive moment in the encounter.

The scores were level at the interval after Kolasinac netted at the right end for Schalke to cancel out Timo Werner's second-minute penalty for the hosts.

But the Bosnian international put through his own net, to move Ralph Hasshuttl's men back three points ahead of reigning German champions Bayern Munich, who had drawn level on points with the Red Bull-owned club by beating Mainz on Friday night.

Timo Werner celebrates putting RBL in front (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

A day of ups and downs for Kolasinac (Image: REUTERS)

RBL and Bayern will play each other on December 21 in the final fixture before the Bundesliga's month-long winter break.

Before that colossal encounter the two teams have two league matches apiece to negotiate, with Leipzig travelling to Ingolstadt before hosting Hertha BSC, and Bayern hosting Wolfsburg before travelling to Darmstadt.

The Bundesliga's third, fourth and fifth-placed teams all kept up the heat on the top two with wins on Saturday.